Design and Comparison of Two Hybrid Less-Rare-Earth Permanent Magnet Machines with Different Rotor Topologies

Nowadays, the hybrid less-rare-earth permanent magnet (HLPM) machines featuring low-priced and good performances have potential application prospect in electric vehicles (EVs). In this paper, two HLPM machines with different rotor topologies are proposed for analysis and comparison. The main differences between two HLPM machines are the arrangement of permanent magnet and the design of flux barrier. Via the finite element analysis (FEA), the electromagnetic performances and mechanical performances of these two HLPM machines, such as air-gap flux density, back-EMF, torque characteristic are analyzed in detail. The results will reveal the influences of different rotor topologies on the electromagnetic performances and mechanical performances for HLPM machines.